With milestone planning items, a major floodplain project, decisions on the original fire station and city hall and preparation for the 2026 World Cup ahead, Leawood is standing at “a pivotal moment,” Mayor Marc Elkins said during his recent state of the city address.
Elkins presented a set of ambitious plans to about 90 people at the Ironhorse Golf Club during an event on Thursday, Feb. 27, which also came after the completion of his first year in office.
“As we enter the second year of my term, planning for the future will be the guiding principle,” he said, adding later that the past year’s achievements will serve as a foundation.
Here are some key points Elkins made:
Strategic and long-term planning milestones
Leawood will complete its first-ever strategic plan this year, Elkins said.
“This roadmap will define our city’s vision, priorities and goals for years to come,” he said.
City strategic plans usually serve as broad outlines of what residents and officials want the municipality to look like years from now. As guidelines, strategic plans can influence many smaller decisions officials make.
Additionally, city officials are due to make the first update in 20 years to Leawood’s comprehensive plan and development ordinance, setting guidelines for future development, he said.
The city fire department’s new five-year strategic plan also will look at planning a new fire station and reconstruction of Fire Station No. 2 to serve growing needs of the 135th Street corridor, he said.
Major work on Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Construction began recently on a major upgrade to the Tomahawk Creek corridor between College Boulevard and Roe Avenue.
The project addresses floodplain issues, bicycle and pedestrian use, traffic and road improvements and fiber optics along the corridor. The work will involve road, land and trail closures for much of 2025, he said.
Elkins called the project “transformative” and asked for patience about closings on the parkway, a popular route. The project is due to be completed at the end of this year.
“Just have patience for a year and it will be that much better, and we won’t see cars rowing their way down Tomahawk Creek when we have a big rainstorm,” he said.
Future of historic city hall site
Councilmembers and staff have re-started discussions that have been ongoing for years about what to do with the little-used but historically important buildings at 96th Street and Lee Boulevard that served as the city’s original city hall and first fire station.
So far, the council has been sifting through various proposals by interested groups and departments about the properties, which are next door to a new fire station.
Though discussions have started and stalled over the years, Elkins said the council intends to solidify the design plan for that site before the end of the year.
Elkins also noted plans in the works to modernize the Lions Club shelter at Leawood City Park, 10601 Lee Blvd., and to build a new playground at Tomahawk Park (often known as “Blue Park”), 3951 West 119th St.
Other notes
Planning for the World Cup will be another big agenda item in 2025, and the city will look for ways to capitalize on it, Elkins said. But he did not offer specifics during his address.
Elkins also presented a list of accomplishments from 2024. Among them:
- Installation of the “Reaching” sculpture by William S. Nemitoff at 10760 Lee Blvd., for the city’s 75th anniversary.
- The appointment of a new police chief, Brad Robbins. Elkins also noted a decline in burglaries and auto burglaries last year as well as police successes apprehending organized shoplifting groups.
- Quick and efficient snow removal during the January 4th blizzard.
- City expenditures for 2024 that are $2.4 million under budget, Elkins said.
